Hydrogen Dukebox

★★★★☆

Norken & Deer are on the trail of a searching sunset-to-sunrise sound, open to the mystery of the night. Lee Norris and Martin Hirsch’s swapping of deep house ideas through fibre-optics is for the most part on your side, headlined by the album’s blue ribbon track “Shoot the Sun,” while easing into a more forthright position that’s altogether less starry-eyed. Rolling quiet storm “Beyond the Breeze” guides you through the album’s strong and protective maturity, and the cooling whispers skipping off the top of the stout “Don’t Feel Her Now” are there to set you adrift but also indicate that you will come down, as if N&D have set up reality around the corner from the highs.

Then asking listeners to really test themselves where the sultry meets the suspicious, “Remember That Feeling” dares you to daydream, like recalling a forbidden holiday romance, and bonus track “Rewire Your Thoughts” is a bumping groove wanting your hard-earned sweat. Fitting in a two-step rhythm for “Bitola Ola” impressively poses no threat to continuity as seduction and doubt continue to swirl as one, manifesting on “3cielo Simplified” but appeased by chillout compilation staple in waiting “Micro Castaneda.” A chocolate box of soft centers, hard shells and faintly stronger than expected flavors; whatever you get, relaxes, tempts and works you up well.File under: Metamatics; Nacht Plank; Jason Lanox